1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to safety equipment for people working at elevated locations.
2. Description of the Related Art
People at elevated locations generally use safety equipment in case they fall. For example, some people wear a harness attached to an anchor point with a safety line. In this way, if the person falls, the fall will be secure because the harness and safety line will stop them. Some of these harnesses are built into a jacket to provide protection from the weather. These harnesses and jackets are typically made for recreational use, such as hunting from a tree stand. Examples of harnesses and jackets for recreational use are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,305,024, 6,637,547, 6,658,666, 6,698,026 and 6,892,395.
Recreational use jackets and harnesses, however, are generally unsuitable for industrial use under more extreme conditions where it is sometimes necessary to stop the fall of a heavier load. For example, workers often carry heavy materials and/or equipment when working, and the worker and the equipment he or she carries present a heavy load. Further, some workers, such as linemen, often work at elevated locations that are greater than 50 feet above the ground. Examples of these elevated locations include towers for power lines and cell phones, which sometimes extend 200 feet to 400 feet or more above the ground. These locations are elevated enough to cause serious bodily injury and death if the lineman experiences an unsecured fall.
One problem often faced by workers at these elevated locations is being exposed to the weather. The weather sometimes necessitates, for example, that the worker wear a jacket over his or her harness. However, a safety line attached to the harness can interfere with the wearing of the jacket. Further, it is sometimes desirable to change jackets in response to changing weather conditions. However, if the worker is using a harness built into a jacket, the worker is required to remove and change both. While removing and changing the harness and jacket, the worker is undesirably exposed to experiencing an unsecured fall. Further, it is often against safety regulations for the worker to detach the safety line from the harness while at the elevated location.
One type of jacket made for linemen is sold as NASCO ARCLITE 1100 SERIES RAINGEAR™. This jacket provides safety line access through its backside. However, this type of jacket is a rain jacket, so it may not be suitable for other weather conditions often faced by workers.